Searsucker and Burlap, the brainchildren of restaurateurs Brian Malarkey and James Brennan, can now claim the distinction as a top “hot spot” restaurant by the users of OpenTable, an online reservations provider.

The two local restaurants are the only dining spots in the county to make it onto the list of the hottest 100 restaurants in the U.S.

The recipients of the 2012 Diners’ Choice Awards are based on the opinions of nearly 5 million reviews submitted by OpenTable diners who ate at more than 12,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The reviews were collected between March 1, 2011, and Feb. 29, 2012.

While the top-rated restaurants are scattered throughout the 18 states and Washington, D.C., one quarter of them are in California, followed closely by New York, with 20.

For anyone who has ever dined, or imbibed, at Searsucker, in the Gaslamp Quarter, or Burlap, in Del Mar, the hot-spot label for these always-packed restaurants probably comes as no surprise.

They’re meant to embody a concept Malarkey and Brennan are calling “social dining” that combines dining, drinking, lounging and entertainment all in one venue.

Brennan, who also owns the Stingaree nightclub downtown, says Burlap and Searsucker are on pace this year to do $20 million in business and serve some 600,000 diners.

“We are on the list because of the social dining experience that we have created, which consists of an engaging menu of great food, outstanding craft cocktails, and a mature and eclectic music played by live DJ’s,” said Brennan.

He and Malarkey are currently in expansion mode, having recently opened two other fabric-themed restaurants, Gingham in La Mesa and Gabardine in Point Loma.